Offensives

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Military operations characterized by aggressive assaults against adversaries
2. Coordinated actions intended to launch attacks and achieve dominance over rivals
3. Actions undertaken to attack or invade enemy positions in armed conflict ; organized efforts aimed at gaining advantage over opponents by forceful means

Etymology: "Offensives" is the plural of "offensive," used here in its military sense of a large-scale attack. The adjective came into English from Middle French "offensif," which was itself built from "offendre," the verb meaning to strike against or attack, borrowed from Latin "offendere." Latin "offendere" was a compound of "ob-" (against) and "fendere" (to strike), so the original sense was physical: to strike against something. Only later did "offend" take on the moral and emotional sense of causing displeasure or hurt. The French form ended in "-if," a suffix that was added by analogy with "défensif," meaning defensive. That pairing explains the military use: an offensive is the natural counterpart of a defensive action. The noun "offensive" for a campaign or attack developed from the adjective, so a plural like "offensives" refers to several such large-scale attacks, often in a sustained military campaign.

Synonyms: attacks, assaults, campaigns, strikes, incursions